Pocketed concrete anchor

ABSTRACT

A critical care workstation includes a display device and a processor, coupled to the display device. The processor executes both a general purpose operating system controlling execution of a selected program for displaying images representing non-real-time data on the display device, and a real-time kernel, controlling execution of a program for displaying images representing real-time data on the display device simultaneously with the display of the non-real-time data. In addition circuitry, responsive to user input, selects a non-real-time display program to execute under the control of the general purpose operating system from among a plurality of available non-real-time display programs.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority fromprovisional application 60/249,572 filed Nov. 17, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a critical-care workstation integratingreal-time and non-real-time data displays.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a critical-care environment there are many types of information whicha doctor may find important in the treatment of a patient. Currently,each type of information is processed by a separate piece of equipmentand displayed on a separate display device. This requires a large amountof space around the patient, and requires the doctor to look at manydifferent display devices to acquire all the information desired.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary arrangement of medical devicesas just described. In FIG. 1, a plurality 300 of sources of medicalinformation are illustrated. For example, a DICOM archival servercomputer is a source of medical images, such as X-rays; a hospitalinformation archival server computer is a source of patient historydata; and so forth. Each of the plurality 300 of sources includes acorresponding one of a plurality 310 of respective display devices todisplay the information for the doctor.

For example, the DICOM archival server computer includes a DICOM viewingdisplay computer operating as a client; and the hospital informationarchival server computer includes a hospital information viewingcomputer operating as a client; and so forth. Each information server iscoupled to corresponding display client via either a direct connection(as illustrated in FIG. 1) or through a network (not shown) in a knownmanner. The servers 300 and clients 310, in general, store, retrieve anddisplay non-real-time medical information.

The arrangement of FIG. 1 also includes a plurality of sources 320 ofreal-time medical information, such as electrocardiogram, bloodpressure, blood oxygen level, etc. monitors. In FIG. 1, each suchmonitor includes electrodes (not shown) intended to be connected to thepatient, and a monitoring screen (not shown) on which the real-time datacollected by the electrodes is displayed. This plurality of equipment,along with the display client computers requires a substantial amount ofspace in the critical care room, and requires the doctor to look at allthe different display devices.

More specifically, medical monitoring systems which display imagesrepresenting real-time physiological functions of a patient are wellknown. For example, electrocardiogram (ECG) systems receive signals fromelectrodes attached to a patient and display waveforms representingpatient heart function on a display device. Originally, such systemswere implemented in hardwired form, but lately such systems have beenimplemented by computer systems. These systems include a processorexecuting a real-time kernel.

Real-time application software operates under control of the real-timekernel to receive the ECG electrode signals and to generate signalsconditioning the display device to display an image representing the ECGlead waveforms. Such systems are usually specially designed andimplemented systems because the real-time kernels are not in generaluse. Because of this, they do not include generally availableapplications, such as image display applications, or Internet webbrowsers, such as are available on more widely used operating systems,e.g. Microsoft Windows.

It has been found, however, that it is often desirable to be able todisplay both images representing real-time data, such as ECG waveforms,and images representing non-real-time data, such as laboratory results,X-rays, trend data, ventilator loops, etc. One existing system providestwo different computer systems, one real-time computer system, such asdescribed above, generating signals representing an image correspondingto the real-time data, and another general-purpose computer systemgenerating signals representing an image corresponding to thenon-real-time data. A switch is provided between the two computersystems and the display device, for coupling one of the imagerepresentative signals to the display device at a time. In such asystem, real-time data is displayed reliably because of the use of thereal-time kernel, and display of non-real-time data does not interferewith display of the real-time data because different computer systemsare used to control the display of the respective images. However, thedoctor may see either the real-time data, or the non-real-time data, butnot both simultaneously.

Another existing system is designed to display images representing thereal-time data simultaneously with images representing a predeterminedset of non-real-time data. For example, such a system may be designed todisplay ECG images and X-ray images simultaneously. Such a systemprovides more information to the doctor, but does not permit selectionby the doctor of desired non-real-time data. Only the non-real-time datadesigned into the system can be displayed.

A critical-care display system for a critical care room which providesfor the reliable display of real-time data, such as ECG waveforms,simultaneously with selectable non-real-time data from any availablesource is desirable. The non-real-time data may include images generatedby specially programmed medical programs, such as trend data and/orventilator loop images, or by generally available programs, such asimage display programs, word processors, and/or internet browsers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with principles of the present invention, a critical careworkstation includes a display device and a processor, coupled to thedisplay device. The processor executes both a general purpose operatingsystem controlling execution of a selected program for displaying imagesrepresenting non-real-time data on the display device, and a real-timekernel controlling execution of a program for displaying imagesrepresenting real-time data on the display device simultaneously withthe display of the non-real-time data. In addition, further circuitry,responsive to user input, selects a non-real-time display program toexecute under the control of the general purpose operating system fromamong a plurality of available non-real-time display programs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the prior art arrangement fordisplaying real time and non-real time patient-related information;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the arrangement for displayingreal-time and non-real-time patient-related information according toprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a portion of a critical care workstationaccording to principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the software architecture of the softwarecontrolling the operation of a critical care workstation according toprinciples of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a display device which candisplay real-time and non-real-time patient related information from aplurality of sources concurrently. Those elements in FIG. 2 which arethe same as in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numbers andare not described in more detail below.

In FIG. 2, the plurality 300 of sources of medical information areconnected to an integrated critical computer workstation 100. Theworkstation 100 receives the medical information from all of theplurality 300 of sources, and displays that information on a singledisplay device. In addition, the real time patient monitors 320 alsoprovide information to the integrated critical care workstation 100,which displays the real time information concurrently with the other,non-real-time patient information, all as described in more detailbelow.

As with FIG. 1, although FIG. 2 illustrates direct connection betweenthe plurality 300 of medical information sources and the integratedcritical care workstation 100, and between the real-time patientmonitors 320 and the integrated critical care workstation 100, oneskilled in the art will understand that the integrated critical careworkstation 100 acts as a client for the server computers 300 and thereal-time patient monitors 320, and may be connected to them via anetwork, such as a local area network. One skilled in the art willfurther understand that more than a single network may be used toconnect the server computers 300 and the real-time monitors 320 to theworkstation 100. For example, one or more networks, designed for highperformance and a short latency time may be used to connect thereal-time monitors 320 to the workstation 100, while one or more slowernetworks may be used to connect the non-real-time server computers 300to the workstation 100. However, the details of the connections betweenthe server computers 300 and the workstation 100 and between thereal-time monitors 320 and the workstation 100 are not germane to thepresent invention, and any appropriate connection may be used.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a portion of the critical care workstation100 according to principles of the present invention. In FIG. 3,

a processor 10 controls the operation of the critical care workstation100. An output terminal of the processor 10 is coupled to an inputterminal of a display device 20. An output terminal of a source 30 ofreal-time data, such as, for example, an ECG module, is coupled to acorresponding input terminal of the processor 10. A mass storage device40 is coupled to the processor 10 via a bi-directional connection. Anetwork connection 50 is also coupled to the processor 10 via abi-directional connection. Although shown as a single connection, oneskilled in the art will understand that the network connection 50 may bein any of the known configurations, e.g. a LAN, and may also include abridge (not shown) to a wide area network, such as the Internet. Anoutput terminal of a source 60 of user input is coupled to an inputterminal of the processor 10.

In operation, the real time data source 30, e.g. an ECG module, producesdata signals representing, in real-time, the physiological condition ofthe patient's heart. The processor 10 receives these physiologicalsignals and generates signals representing images corresponding to thephysiological signals. The real-time image representative signals aresupplied to the display device 20, which displays the imagescorresponding to the physiological signals. In the illustratedembodiment, the processor 10 executes a real-time kernel. The kernelprovides for deterministic execution of a real-time process forreceiving the physiological signals from the real-time signal source 30,processing these signals, and generating the image representativesignals for the display device 20. For example, for a real-time signalsource 30 consisting of an ECG module, signals from the

10 ECG electrodes attached to the patient are received from thereal-time signal source 30 and processed by the real-time process in theprocessor 10 to generate signals representing 12 waveforms correspondingto the 12 lead ECG.

Those signals are supplied to the display device 20 which displays theimages of these waveforms. The real-time kernel ensures that waveformsrepresenting the 12 lead ECG are displayed reliably within apredetermined latency time.

Simultaneously with generating signals representing images correspondingto the real-time data, the processor 10 generates image representativesignals corresponding to non-real-time data. Images represented by thesesignals are displayed on the display device 20 simultaneously with thereal-time images described above. In the illustrated embodiment theprocessor 10 executes a generally available windowing operating system,e.g. Microsoft Windows or an Apple Macintosh OS, simultaneously with andindependent from the real-time kernel. A non-real-time applicationprogram executes under the control of the windowing operating system.Examples of such a non-real-time application program are an internet webbrowser, a word processor or an image display program.

More specifically, code and data for one or more non-real-timeapplication programs is stored on the storage device 40 or on a server(not shown) on the LAN 50 and/or internet (not shown). A user suppliesdata to the processor 10 selecting one of the available non-real-timeapplication programs via the user data source 60. The processor 10retrieves the code and data for the selected non-real-time applicationprogram and executes the application program under control of thewindowing operating system. For example, the selected applicationprogram may be an image display application which can retrieve datarepresenting an image,

such as an X-ray image from the DICOM archival server computer (of FIG.1), and produce signals conditioning the display device 20 to displaythe X-ray image on the display device 20.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the software architecture 20 of thesoftware controlling the operation of a critical care workstationaccording to principles of the present invention. In FIG. 4, a commonoperating system kernel 202 provides services to programs executing onthe processor 10 (of FIG. 3). For example, the common OS kernel 202provides information relating to available memory, virtual memory,input/output (I/O), etc. The windowing operating system executes as afirst process on the processor 10. This is illustrated on the right handportion of FIG. 4. An application program interface (API) 204 provides asimplified way for a non-real-time application program 206 to access thefunctions provided by the common OS kernel 202. A human interface layer210 provides a simplified way for the non-real-time application program206 to generate display images for the display device 20. The humaninterface 210 conditions the processor 10 to generate imagerepresentative signals in response to the non-real-time applicationprogram 206. As described above, these signals are supplied to thedisplay device 20 which displays the image represented by those signals.

A real-time kernel executes as a second process on the processor 10.This is illustrated on the left hand portion of FIG. 4. A real-timeprocess 212 also receives services from the common OS kernel 202.

The real-time kernel in the real-time process 212 provides deterministicexecution of the real-time process 212. The real-time process 212, inturn, conditions the processor 10 to receive the real-time signals fromthe real-time signal source 30, process the real-time signals, andgenerate image representative signals corresponding to the real timesignals. As described above, these signals are also supplied to thedisplay device 20, which displays the image represented by these signalssimultaneously with the image represented by the non-real-time signals.One skilled in the art will further understand that the style of theimage displayed by the real-time process 212 may be made similar to, orthe same as, the style of the image displayed by the non-real-timeapplication program 206 as controlled by the human interface 210.

A system according to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 allows images corresponding toreal-time data to be displayed concurrently with images corresponding tonon-real-time data from a plurality of sources. In addition, thenon-real-time data may be generated by any application program which maybe executed under the control of the windowing operating system. Becausea windowing operating system is more commonly available, a wider varietyof non-real-time application programs are available to the user and anysuch program which is made available either on the storage device 40 oron the LAN 50 or internet (not shown) may be selected to be executed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A critical care workstation, comprising: adisplay device; a processor, coupled to the display device, executing: ageneral purpose operating system, controlling execution of a selectednon-real-time application program for displaying images representingnon-real-time data on the display device; and a real-time kernel,controlling execution of a process for displaying images representingreal-time data on the display device simultaneously with the display ofthe non-real-time data; and circuitry, responsive to user input, forselecting the non-real-time display program from among a plurality ofavailable non-real-time display programs.
 2. The workstation of claim 0wherein the general purpose operating system executes simultaneous withand independent from the real-time kernel.
 3. The workstation of claim 0further comprising a storage device, coupled to the processor, whereinthe plurality of available non-real-time application programs are storedon the storage device and the general purpose operating system selectsone of the stored plurality of non-real-time application programs inresponse to the user input.
 4. The workstation of claim 0 wherein thestorage device stores code and data representing the non-real-timeapplication program and the processor retrieves the stored code and datarepresenting the selected non-real-time application and controls theexecution of the retrieved code and data.
 5. The workstation of claim 0further comprising a connection to a network comprising a server capableof storing the plurality of non-real-time application programs and thegeneral purpose operating system selects one of the stored plurality ofnon-real-time application programs in response to the user input.
 6. Theworkstation of claim 0 wherein the server stores code and datarepresenting the non-real-time application program and the processorretrieves the stored code and data representing the selectednon-real-time application and controls the execution of the retrievedcode and data.
 7. The workstation of claim 0, wherein the real-time datais physiological data.